If you have a complaint about any food/drink you have purchased or eaten; or the food premises you have been to in Gateshead, you may either complain to the Food Control Team at Gateshead Council or you may complain to the seller direct.
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Do you have a complaint?
The Food Control team will respond to requests for service relating to complaints about:
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We respond to requests about
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Examples of complaints we receive
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Food purchased or eaten in Gateshead
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Unfit food
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Foreign bodies in food
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Moulds
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Damage/contamination by pests
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Food sold past the ‘use by’ date
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Hygiene standards in food premises
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Temperature control
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Structural disrepair
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Defrosted and refrozen foods
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Dirty conditions
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Refuse
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Pests
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Food handling practice
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The food handler’s personal hygiene
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Handling raw and cooked foods together
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Smoking
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Food standards and labelling
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Incorrect ingredients
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Food falsely described
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Allergy information
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No information in English
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Requests for advice and information
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Starting up a new food business
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Food legislation and guidance advice
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Food premises registration
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We are the enforcing authority for food safety issues and the purpose of our investigation is to establish the nature and seriousness of the problem. We will assess relevant information and decide on the most appropriate action by reference to national and local guidance on food safety. We may need to liaise with another local authority as the investigation is carried out where the product was purchased or involve another agency such as Trading Standards or the Meat Hygiene Service.
Please note that we do not deal with compensation claims – whether money back, replacement or any other refund.
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Complaints to the seller
If you return the product to where you purchased it, you can discuss the matter with the proprietor. Any compensation is a matter between you (the complainant) and the retailer or manufacturer.
Please note that it is very difficult for an enforcing authority to investigate a complaint if you have returned the product.
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Common Food problems
Food is surprisingly complex. It is grown or reared in an agricultural environment, can be manufactured or processed in highly complex factories, and then goes through a complicated transport and retail system before reaching us, the consumer.
It is no wonder then that things sometimes go wrong with the food we buy!
Here are some common problems that you might find with a short explanation and suggestion for the most suitable course of action.
Tinned and Bottled Foods
Moth larvae - occasionally small grubs may be discovered in canned vegetables. These are commonly found in sweet corn and tomatoes. The grubs are in fact larvae of a moth. They live inside the sweet corn/tomato and are impossible to see before processing. They are killed and sterilised by the canning process.
Advice: No Public Health Risk – contact the manufacturer
Wasps and Fruit Flies - these insects are naturally associated with fruit and are sometimes found in tins of fruit and fruit products (jam, purees, yoghurts) as well as fresh produce. They will have been heat treated and do not pose a risk to public health
Advice: No Public Health Risk – contact the manufacturer.
Struvite - natural occurring elements in fish may develop into hard glass-like crystals during the canning process. These crystals are not harmful and are broken down by stomach acid if swallowed. Struvite is especially common in tinned salmon. A simple test will tell if the crystals are struvite or glass. If placed in vinegar and gently heated struvite crystals will dissolve, glass will not.
Advice: If struvite contact the manufacturer, if glass contact the Environmental Health department.
Mould - dented, damaged or incorrectly processed tins may allow mould growth to occur. This could indicate an error in production or storage.
Advice: Possible public health risk – contact the Environmental Health Department.
Wine
Crystals - the most common crystals found in wine are tartrate crystals which could be mistaken for glass. They can form when wine has been stored at cold temperatures.
Advice: Although unpleasant they are harmless and you should notify the retailer or manufacturer of your concerns.
Bakery Goods
Bakery Char - bread and cakes may contain bits of overcooked dough that has flaked off the bakery tins. It is not necessarily an indicator of poor hygiene, although they may be mistaken for rodent droppings. Rodent droppings are black and torpedo shaped while bakery char is blackish and comes in uneven shapes
Advice: There is no public health risk and we advise you to contact the manufacturer or retailer. If you are in any doubt please contact the Environmental Health department.
Carbonised Grease - the machinery used to produce breads and cakes is lubricated with non-toxic vegetable oil. Occasionally some oil may be incorporated into dough giving areas of the product a grey/greasy appearance
Advice: No public health risk. We advise you to contact the manufacturer or retailer. If you are in any doubt please contact the Environmental Health department.
Chocolate/Confectionary
Bloom - chocolate may develop a light coloured bloom if stored at too high a temperature. It is not mould but is due to fat separation. It is not harmful
Crystals - large crystals may form in confectionary and may be mistaken for glass. The crystals will dissolve in warm water
Advice: No public health risk – contact manufacturer or return to retailer.
Fish
Cod worm - white fish such as cod or haddock may be infested with a small, round brownish/yellow worm found in the flesh. They are killed by cooking and are harmless to humans. The affected parts of the fish are usually cut away, but some may be missed.
Advice: No Public Health risk - contact the retailer or supplier.
Meat and Poultry
Skin & Small bone fragments - products made from meat and/or poultry may contain small bones, skin or parts of blood vessels. These are unsightly but rarely a health hazard as they are normal parts of the original animal. They may sometimes cause problems such as chipped teeth but are not generally regarded as a public health issue.
Advice: No public health risk – contact manufacturer or return to retailer.
Large bone fragments/foreign bodies - these may pose a health hazard from choking etc.
Advice: Please contact the Environmental Health Department.